Meanings
noun
- Obsolete spelling and common present-day misspelling of hippopotamus
It is a remarkable fact that when the hippotamus is at liberty in its native stream, not only the ears and the nostrils, but even the ridge over the eyes are of a bright scarlet colour, so brilliant indeed that colour can scarcely convey an idea of the hue.
1868, John George Wood, The Natural History of Man, page 379
Origin
Syncopic form of hippopotamus.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
hippotamus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hippotamus
MLA
“hippotamus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hippotamus. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hippotamus,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hippotamus.
Source: hippotamus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.